Does anyone agreee that there is too much music out there?
 

Hi All,

It is hard to get close to good music unless you are very lucky. You can spend hours, days, weeks or even years getting through everyone's myspace or social networking site and not find much or more of the same.

The thing is that the whole industry is money driven, more so than ever and I feel that it clouds the vision of lots of producers, writers, bands and performers. If you get signed and your music is not commercial enough, big labes want to change it.

All these X Factor type programs don't help either. The public get sucked into the opinions of producers of the same kinds/style and they end up liking what the winner produces. In my humble opinion, not good.

Please someone tell me I'm wrong and why...:jailed:

You just have to know where to look. There's never too much music out there. The more the better, because that means there's a greater chance of something coming along that you'll enjoy. I guess I personally don't scroll through myspace and other places were commercialism dominates the music.

You're wrong...

1) If there was LESS music than in all likelihood a greater % of the total value would be made up of the 'commercial, dollar driven pop bands' that "rule" our airwaves.

2) Find 5-7 good blogs that get updated daily, bookmark em, and in all likelihood you will keep on finding more and more quality music.

If you don't bother and bitch about all the crap, you aren't looking hard enough.

And I agree, the whole industry is money driven... Even those small bands you think are 'sick and totally indie', they're just dying for their music to make some dosh :p:.

3) We have one of these fuggin' threads ever 2 weeks...

I disagree with you:

There will never be too much music, for it might damn well be one of the huge and crucial elements to the next evolution, my friend. Sure, the music industry is waist-deep in creeps that are trying to SELL SELL SELL. This, in no way, should keep the a truly passionate listener from finding what he really likes. I agree with blue - you have to know where to look, and just from being here (MB) for a few days, I can already tell you this is more than a legit place to find good music. Why? Because a lot of these individuals here actually care and take pride in what they listen to. Some of these guys (and girls) are just straight up music fiends who are not only open to all types of music but to sharing it with strangers and cheeeeeses christ, I've not seen something more beautiful in ages. :) With that being said, now is a good time to face my hopeless addiction to MB. Hi, my name is Cathy and I'm addicted to music. :hphones:

Getting back on topic, we mildly dabbled on the topic of money corrupting musicians in the Rock/Metal forum and mr. dave proved a great point: just because a musician is rewarded with money (in some cases), does not discredit him as a talented musician. We all dog on the ones that "sell-out", but honestly, don't you want that for a band you really dig to sell albums? In SOME cases, won't this mean more money to future albums by a band you love? Let's be real though - in most cases, the ones who really do sell out don't deserve a goddamn bit of it and the ones who truly work hard for music's sake, get meteoric, superficial reviews in yet another ****ty mag.

Albeit this unavoidable corruption in the music industry today, we can't let the mainstreamers take over (and in my opinion, we have not). Those of us who have a truly deep connection with music are way too ****ing strong to let Nickleback and the goddamned Jonas Brothers keep us from finding music that makes a difference. Lastly, if you're looking for some good tunes, browse around MB. I guarantee you'll find it.

Of course the industry is money driven. You'd be naive to want anything out of this industry or any other.

Silly rabbit.

But that doesn't mean there ain't quality music.

Here's how you find quality music: start with the 33 1/3 books. That series is fantastic. They're books about seminal albums that came out before the new millenium. You'll definitely find some gems that will get you caught up in the culture.

Wikipedia is also great. Search for an album you're familiar with and see who's rating them, visit their websites and read more reviews.

Pitchfork.com is the most popular source for independent music, but there's also PopMatters, AbsolutePunk, Stylus.

Also, get a last.fm account.

You're just not looking hard enough.

too much music, hell no. it is always good to have variety in all things. it is exceptionally true in music because people can always introduce you to something new.

Well im still discovering new music nearly everyday @37 then you have definitely got no excuse to hear new stuff.

i cannot agree with this post any more than i can now

I agree in that there's too much stuff that i want to hear. That's not musics fault though :D

Thanks for all you comments...

Now for a little bit from where I'm coming from.

The real question I asked the question was, 'is there too much music out there?' so it is great that you all feel that there is not, otherwise I would not be doing what I'm doing. (I'm a full time musician, teacher, promoter, producer and recording engineer.)

There is no way that I would ever say that a musician or band should not be able to make a living from their art, but nobody seemed to pick up on the fact that the mass market crap has such a vast scale of influence, as it is shoved down the throats of most young people, who a lot of end up believing that what the commercial radios play is where it is at as they get older. Now most internet users know that the internet is full of alt places hosting great music.

One of you spoke of another music revolution, I think this worldwide recession has to get a lot worse before people start taking a closer look at what the cold hard facts of life are. But, I certainly welcome a change of one kind or another. The one thing that is really bothering me is that music is becoming more and more life fast food restaurants chains, mass produced and tasteless....

It's been like that for a long, long time, really.

It just kind of seems worse because we have the Internet.

I think it all depends on what sort of attitude you take with it. If you tell yourself "it's all too much" it will be. If you say to yourself "what a beautiful age we live in. There has never been as much diversity in the world of music as there is now. I'm going to check out something new today" the music world will be your own personal candy shop. I know it is for me.

this is by far the dumbest thing i've ever heard...there isnt ENOUGHE music out there

Taking this quote in isolation you give me the impression that you think that "mass market crap" having an "influence" is some new phenomenon. Sorry readers but this type of reaction by the musical elite to what they feel that the masses should listen to is nothing new.

The history of music is littered with those that think that the masses have no idea. Elitism towards the popular was around when Strauss was a boy. And that can be what ever Strauss you want it to be.:). When I was a young bloke T Rex where trashed by Led Zap Fans. I heard statements like Slade could not play their instruments. "They are only in it for the money" was, and may still be for all I know, a common mantra against the Top Of the Pops artistes. That one has particularly made me laugh over the years. "They are only in it for the money:rolleyes:". There have certainly been some artists in this world who were not interested in making money for their art but the reality is that the vast majority of artists that can make a living out of it would rather do that than have a job on a production line making tin cans for a living for not much an hour. As to top line artists who are popular with the musical elites it never ceases to amaze me that they are defended because of their art with out the defenders getting stuck into them for releasing countless "best of" etc style albums. Want an example? all music list 28 Led Zeppelin compilations to 9 official studio releases. So saying that radio stations "shoved down the throats of most young people" is not much different to me than the fact that record companies such as Zeps can con the dosh out of the pocket of the "elites" that are Zep fans.


I find debates like this a waste of time. Just listen and enjoy. Who cares how much they sell or how much radio time they get. You either like it or you don't. That is what aesthetic values are all about.

I like the fact that so much music exists. I love music and I still find out about bands that have been around for a while that I never knew existed and it's far better than the music that's out there now (most of it, anyways).

It' better to have a lot of variety than to have to listen to the same crap all the time. There's a lot of talent out there that is still in need of discovering but it's a bit harder to find them because of all this mainstream music that doesn't give those bands a chance. That's why I like to come to music forums. It helps me find new music.

10 years ago it was because of bubblegum pop like the backstreet boys and spice girls as to why artistes couldn't make a living. 10 years before that it was grunge. 10 years before that it was new wave. before that was disco, and hard rock, and psychedelia, and rock and roll, etc. etc.

the one thing that bugs me most about this is the idea that so many musicians hold onto that they're somehow 'supposed' to be able to make a living out of strumming a couple of chords and regurgitating high school poetry because they're not doing it for 'superficial' reasons, it's art. as if self-declared 'art' is somehow superior to the tripe on the radio and should be celebrated for altruistic reasons (and not at all egotistical ones).

the masses have every right to suck and have 'bad' taste, for them music is a common background soundtrack to their lives. if you really think there's too much music out there then i strongly suggest taking the time necessary to grow the guts to stand behind your own tastes regardless of what your peers or the mainstream think. i've noticed that online forums have created what seeems to be a new generation of kids who think they 'need' to like everything in order to be 'proper' music fans and that's just wrong.

That last part actually made me stop for a second, and honestly think about whether or not I was trying too hard to enjoy as many styles as possible in order to be a 'proper fan' like you say.
I looked through my cd's and picked out quite a few at random of all different sorts of genre's, and thought about each one in particular. Metal, Techno, Classical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Industrial...I really thought about it and I decided that I honestly enjoy every single one that I looked at. This actually ended up making me pretty happy. /shrug

@ the OP:

I feel the same way about the amount of music being overwhelming sometimes...not necessarily a bad thing though. Nothing is more fun than discovering a new band that you really enjoy. The problem is that then sometimes the site recommends you 'similar sounding bands' which you wanna check out...then you find that some of the band members were in other bands that get rave reviews, which leads you to a new sub-genre, etc, etc. Kinda never ends :)

There's never "too much music" unless you don't know what you want.
Figure yourself out.

You know, I felt this way awhile back, before I was on any music forum. From time to time, I weave out an album because my taste in music, like everything about me, changes. I can see the pressured efforts to become a "well-rounded" person and not wanting to be judged. Nothing a couple of vague sentences can't distract, right? So you say, "I listen to everything" in hopes that you won't have to elaborate. Though I try not put myself in this position, I'm sporadically awed and challenged by new music.

edit: Thank you for that by the way. I needed a reminder.

Too Much Music? But How Could I Live Without It? I Don't Want To Live In A Silent World.

Kawabata from Acid Mothers Temple once said something like, if there's anything else you could do in this life other than play music, do that other thing... Which seems harsh at first, but ultimately I think there's some truth in there. It's a crowded room, you know.

Perhaps he meant it in the sense of playing music for a living because there are plenty of musicians who have other careers.

I believe it's a control issue. For example, from what I've read on this forum about punk, it used to be a rebellion sort of deal. Now it has rules, and is a style, and safety-pined shirts are sold at stores for 50$ more then they should be, and the lyrics of certain "punk" bands today reflect that in their pointlessness. So, where exactly did the rebellion go? Wait, where did any of the provocative music on the radio go? Not only is just Bikini Kill not being given access to the majority, with their awful feminist views, but also Nick Cave isn't on the radio- too much talent, too twisted, it's just not fit for the public. Or... is it? Is the public really identifying with, relating to, being inspired by this bubblegum "everyone is happy" Jonas brother crap, or is that just what the media puts out there so kids grow-up thinking that's just how music is. Oh wait, did I say thinking, I meant buying.

Anyway, it isn't that hard of an obstacle to overcome. It's not like some gigantic conspiracy, people just move more towards controlled things in general. But there is another group, MusicBanter, the valiant Savior of all that is controversial! The open-minded forum that will one day fulfill it's destiny and sew the media for massive wide-spread demoralization and general crimes against society.

I think he meant it literally, in the sense of, there's so many people trying to make a living at this who can't really do anything else even remotely productive that if you CAN do something else remotely productive, go do it, and don't make it harder for the rest of us...

This is not specifically my own attitude. But then, you don't see me trying to be a carpenter. I know where my strengths are at.

Going underground is a good way to find effing great music
Zune's pimpin sweet Mix View feature is a prudddy decent way to find music, the Social is nice too

Interesting thread, I have thought about this too.

not necessarily. Lots of artists have proved that you don't have to do what industry wants you to do. Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, for example, felt that Nashville was taking them and molding them into what Nashville wanted at that time, not what they really were. So they said screw you Nashville, and they did what they wanted, they sang what they wanted, they wrote what they sang...ect. AND THEY made it. You know why? Because they had the talent to make it. They didn't need machines and equalizers to make their music sound good. (This is going back to my Taylor Swift post)

Too many people are getting in nowadays that have ZERO talent simply because if you are fair then they figure if they marketed you well enough, and they can tweak your voice to sound good then well through this crap out there and see if people buy into it.....or at least not riot against it. Its all TO MAKE MONEY NOWADAYS.

As opposed to what time period?

yeah, but back in the day they were puttin out music worthy of making money off so it was a win win situation. The people were getting good music and the industry was making their money. Not so nowadays.

I don't know how I feel about sticking to one career, not to mention, sticking to only what I do well. My passions vary from day to day, but I'm most passionate about learning, whether it be about language, music, art, people, medicine, science - I ****ing love it all. I don't ever want to stop learning or get to the cynical age, where I think I know everything. Though making music does pull on my heart strings in a way nothing else can, I still leave myself with the accessibility of finding new passions.

So now days there is no music worthy of making money off?

The industry has always been just that, an industry. It is a business and so those involved with it are seeking money. They released what was marketable at the time, as do industries now. Just because you found the marketable music of whatever era more likeable than the marketable music of today doesn't mean it wasn't the same crap. You'd be naive to think Pink Floyd weren't busy wondering about what to wear at their performances or how to part their hair. It was all just as prefabricated as today's. Besides, there were plenty of great bands from back in the day that we haven't heard and probably never will. Just like today there are great artists you've never heard.

I can relate. :banghead:

I agree that there is too much music out there that is:

1). Ripped off another song and therefore not 100% original.

2). EASY. Acoustic or piano. Play some notes, add in some lyrics and supposedly you get a song. I'm sorry, no. Put effort. Put MORE effort please. 1 Day does not = Song.

3). Based on the hope of success and not music. OK this is like #1 and #2 combined. But yeah, too many bands wanting to be the next Strokes. Too many girls wanting to be the next Taylor Swift. It seems like most artists think of that first before they think about how their music should sound. This = Lame music. **** I've heard before. I have to look outside of the US for actual good music nowadays.

Back in what day?

I will disagree with this. Some of the most impressive and moving pieces of music are great because of their simplicity and anything more would ruin the atmosphere they create. That's Entertainment by The Jam comes to mind. Very simple song, yet adding anything more to it would take away from it.

I will second that...:band: see im makin a new hit single

I'll check it out. Not all simple songs sound like ****. I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is there's a lot of songs out there that are made quickly and without thought put into the song. A lot of "artists" just want to put something out there that shows that they can play an instrument or sing a tune, regardless of how it sounds.

why does that mean it shouldn't be released?

how is that attitude different than a record label executive determining what gets released as a single for the radio? you're still talking about limiting expression to appeal to your personal taste

I was just thinking the same thing, I will spend hours listening to a bunch of music, and the next day there is a whole other group of bands that I am checking out, some of which I end of liking, and have to go out, get one of their albums, then there is just even more music that I have to listen to. Haha, I don't agree that there is too much music, but there is by far too much good music for me to listen to.:)

Yep. I felt like this before I even joined these boards not too long ago, but now that I'm here its even worse.

Every day you log on here there's new lists and reviews and videos in every thread. I try to give most of it a fair shot, just cause thats the way I am. No way am I complaining though, as I've been turned on to so much amazing stuff already in just the past week.